More idiocy from Maine (Portland, South Portland: construction, taxes, live in)

[Petertherock]

So the state wants to do something good for once in widening I-295 in the Portland area. If anyone has never driven on this stretch of road it is common during the morning and afternoon rush hours to be in stop and go traffic from Falmouth all the way to South Portland. This doesn't even take into account the accidents this traffic causes.

The widening of I-295 would be a welcome site for anyone who has to commute on this road. It's one thing that I wouldn't mind paying taxes for. So what's the problem? These environmentalists Moderator cut: inappropriate don't want it!! These lunatics think that widening the road is somehow going to ruin the environment. It's moronic. The volume of traffic is going to increase on this road whether or not they widen the road. By not widening the road it will cause more pollution because more cars will be on the road idling instead of reaching their destination in a timely manner.

These numb nuts have to realize that we live in Maine and most people are not going to ride bicycles all over the place. I know Portland's City Council has recently passed a law that businesses and residential areas are required to provide a certain number of bicycle spaces. I am sure this will help the environment. I wonder how many people are going to be riding bicycles when it's -10 degrees or snowing or ice or raining?

These liberals are so open minded their brains have fallen out.

[Elcarim]

Peter, pack a bag and come spend a week in Houston with me on REAL freeways. Then we'll revisit this subject.

[elston]

How do you really feel? I am surprised that this type of post is tolerated; it is one thing to disagree and to have strong opinions, but something else again to be totally disagreeable.

I won't speculate on what part of your anatomy gets numb, or your placement on an ideological scale of political philosophy, or your sanity or inteligence quotient or the resting place of your brain. I will say that I found your post (bless your heart) to be less than convincing due to the manner in which your opinion was expressed.

(Didn't you once apolgize and say you had learned while following the Florida posts that such rants are inappropriate?)

Here in California we have 8 lane highways and they are attempting to widen them...at some point one has to question, where is there left to go and what is left to see? I don't know the answer....but I have seen the solution out here....and I don't like it.

[flycessna]

I lived in Va and commuted into DC.........you don't know traffic.

[elston]

[quote=flycessna;2804844]I lived in Va and commuted into DC.........you don't know traffic.[/quote

OMG yes, one time Itook the direct route down 95 from NH to visit my son in SC and ended up going thru Balitimore DC and Virginia!!!!! Thereafter, took a confaluted route of my own design that took me thru the NJ the pocono mts and thru central PA down to the skyline drive in Virginia to the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC and then worked my way over to coastal SC. I do remember the nightmare of traffic around Washington and into Virginia. Don't I remember a po'boy highwaysome where near Washington????? (I thought that was a sandwich in New Orleans lol.)

[CapeCodder]

Ooooh the traffic at the Hyannis rotary in July in the rain...or coming over the Sagamore Bridge...yikes!
Bleck...or the tunnel in Boston...one break down and it's all over.

I've driven thru Portland MANY times and it's NOTHING compared to these scenarios.

OH and speaking of VA...the commute from Alexandria into DC is a nightmare!! I couldn't imagine doing that commute (a friend worked at the Pentagon and we drove in a few times...no thank you!)

[Coaster]

Peter, people are asking tough questions about the widening because it's a major and hugely expensive construction project through the heart of Portland. Traffic is high for a number of reasons -- only one is the commuter flow into and out of Portland. Another is that many people have learned they can reduce their turnpike toll by 60 cents if they use the South Portland exit rather than the Falmouth one. So they get off in SoPo and use 295 to go north to Freeport and Brunswick.

Personally, I think now is exactly the wrong time to be widening 295. As global oil supplies dwindle (conventional crude production peaked in 2005, according to the US Dept. of Energy) we'll see higher prices and less vehicle usage. The money that would be spent on turning 295 into six lanes would be far better used on mass transit and rail rehabilitation.

There is an excellent editorial in the Portland Press Herald today pointing out that three different entities -- the MDOT, Maine Turnpike Authority, and the regional transit agency -- are all independently planning transportation projects in the Portland area. There is no coordination, and there should be.

In 15-20 years multilane highways will be obsolete, as will the suburbs they serve. Spending money on new highways is a wasted effort.

[MRVphotog]

This doesn't even take into account the accidents this traffic causes.

The traffic doesn't cause the accidents, drivers, usually in a hurry, cause them. If it bothers you that much there are other ways to get there. This could be a longshot but if they did widen that section of I295 wouldn't you be complaining the hassle the construction is causing. Reminds me of that old Yogi Berra saying..."no one drives on that road anymore, it's too crowded".

[emu742]

I would just have to say that more lanes can be great, but eventually they get crowded too. And in the end environmentalists I think are thinking about mass transit over the extension of more lanes to allow for more single drivers which discourages mass transit. We have 5 here and they all crawl (used to have 3 just a few years ago). Then the city got smart and put in a light rail. I would think the best solution in any case is a mass transit rail system. Portland Oregon is a good example of good commuting through bikes and light rail systems recently.

[mensaguy]

Don't more lanes equal more bowlers and more bowlers equal more beer?